1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a handler for testing a semiconductor device, which is used when testing a fabricated semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a handler for receiving and supplying a customer tray.
2. Description of the Related Art
A handler for testing a semiconductor device (hereinafter, referred to as handler) withdraws semiconductor devices fabricated through a predetermined fabricating process from a customer tray, electrically connects the semiconductor devices to a tester, and when the test is completed, classifies the semiconductor devices according to the test result to insert the semiconductor devices into the empty customer tray.
The handler have evolved into various forms such as the form proposed in Korean Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-2009-0012667 or in Korean Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-2002-0077596 according to a purpose of uses such as a type of the semiconductor device, the purpose of the test or an environment.
In general, the handler includes multiple stackers to receive and supply the customer tray, in which the semiconductor device is loaded or can be loaded.
The multiple stackers include a supplying stacker to supply the customer tray in which the semiconductor device to be tested is loaded, and an accommodating stacker to accommodate the customer tray in which the semiconductor device is loaded after the test is completed. In this case, at least one supplying stacker and at least one accommodating stacker are provided. In addition, a predetermined number of customer trays may be accommodated in the supplying stacker or the accommodating stacker.
Meanwhile, the semiconductor devices are tested under the same environmental condition in a unit of one lot. Therefore, it is preferable to continuously test the semiconductor devices in the unit of one lot.
However, the quantity of semiconductor devices in the unit of one lot occasionally exceeds the quantity of semiconductor devices loadable in the customer trays that may be accommodated in the supplying stacker. In this case, when the test of some semiconductor devices in the one lot is completed, a worker supplies the customer tray in which the remaining semiconductor devices are loaded. Therefore, the manpower of the worker is consumed, and the operating rate of the handler decreases due to the above work.
Therefore, instead of fabricating the handler 100 having one supplying stacker 171 and one withdrawing position WP, at which the semiconductor device is withdrawn as illustrated in FIG. 1, an improved handler 200 including supplying stackers 271a and 271b and withdrawing positions WP1 and WP2 may be considered. However, according to the improved handler 200, not only does the size of equipment become larger, but the design and control of a device moving unit 200 for withdrawing and moving the semiconductor device from the customer tray CT at the withdraw positions WP1 and WP2 become complex.
In addition, because the handler disclosed in Patent Applications Nos. 10-2013-0052809 and 10-2013-0055510, which have been filed by the applicant, includes a structure to move the customer tray loaded in the stacker to the withdrawing position by a lower belt, an additional belt structure is required when multiple supplying stackers are provided.
Therefore, spaces are wasted and fabrication costs are increased. Further, when the semiconductor devices are fabricated in a normal quantity, the additional supplying stacker 271b is rarely utilized.
It may also be considerable to increase a vertical height of the stacker for increasing a loading quantity of the customer trays which are vertically loaded in the stacker, but this increases the size of the equipment, and the customer tray loading work of the worker becomes cumbersome due to the increased height of the equipment.